臺灣醫務社會工作專業能力分級制度之初探

Preliminary Study of Medical Social Work Competence Classification in Taiwan

醫務社會工作係將社會工作的專業知能和方法運用於醫療照護機構，在醫療團隊中協助病患與家屬因應醫療照護過程的各種問題、改善生活品質。基於多元專業的工作脈絡，以及專科社工進階制度的發展，突顯出明確界定醫務社工之專業能力內涵與層級的需求。本研究的目的是建立醫務社工專業能力分級制度的共識性架構，據以澄清並確立醫務社工的專業能力、能力分級之指標與內涵。研究運用質性研究方法，蒐集並分析包含文獻考察、焦點團體，以及修正式德菲法之資訊。研究結果將醫務社工能力劃分為四個分級，包含適應醫療環境、依據標準流程提供服務的新手層級；具備獨立接案、實習教學與方案實施能力的進階工作者；彈性反應脈絡需求、實施臨床教學與專案發展的勝任者；深化專長領域、勝任跨領域協作以及參與研究及政策倡導的精熟者。研究期望建立醫務社工實務能力的共識架構與持續的討論平台，進而發展專業教育與職能評量機制，作為專業責信與醫務社工職涯發展的參考依據。

Medical social work is a branch of social work provided in health facilities by social workers with advanced professional knowledge and skills, to patients and their families in need of psychosocial assistance. The aim is to improve their quality of life. Due to its multi-professional work context, and the development of its ladder career system, medical social work highlights the need to define the connotation of professional competence and level among medical social workers. The purpose of this study is to establish a consensual structure for grouping the medical social workers’ ability. Hence, this structure would be used for clarification and establishing an index and context for medical social workers’ professional ability and capability. Utilizing qualitative research in this study, the gathering and analysis of information includes document investigation, focus groups, and modified Delphi method. The results of this study will include categorizing medical social work abilities into four levels: the novice level of adapting to medical environment and offering services according to standard operating procedures; the advanced beginner level of taking cases independently, practice teaching, and the ability to implement plans; and the competent level of spontaneously responding to contextual demands. This study aims to establish a practical ability consensual structure and a sustaining discussion forum for medical social workers that will further develop into an educational and professional assessment mechanism to serve as a reference for medical social workers’ professional accountability and career development.